


better now

by ttlmtbee



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2010 Era (Phandom), Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Skype, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23022217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttlmtbee/pseuds/ttlmtbee
Summary: Dan hates reading his law textbook but he likes talking to Phil.
Relationships: Dan Howell & Phil Lester, Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	better now

**Author's Note:**

> i should be reading my textbook right now but instead i’m writing a fic about it. still have seventy pages to read before tomorrow morning. everything is fine.

Of all the things Dan hated about university, required reading was the thing he detested the most. Here he was, for the third night in a row, staring at his law textbook, trying to make sense of the long words dancing around the page before his lecture on Thursday. Sure, they were English – but certainly not any sort of English that Dan or any _normal person_ could understand. It was all so boring and tedious, and his professor was just going to go over it in class anyway so what was even the point?

Just then, the familiar Skype ringtone filled up the concrete walls of Dan’s dorm room. He didn’t have to check to know who it was. Without hesitation, he answered.

“ _Hello!”_

A tinny northern accent spoke from his laptop speakers, a blurry Phil took over the screen. Dan just smiled from his desk.

“ _How are you?”_ Phil continued when Dan didn’t say anything, readjusting himself on his bed on the other side of the city. Dan smiled wider.

“Better now,” he said, placing his pen down in his law textbook, and turning away from his notes and towards the computer. Phil looked antsy on the other side of the screen, Dan was about to ask why when Phil spoke up again.

_“You’re supposed to be studying…”_ Phil noticed in a mock-serious tone. Dan glared at him through the webcam. Well, it was meant to be a glare – his eyes betrayed him when he saw Phil’s face.

Phil was smiling, but Dan could tell something was up. He seemed nervous for some reason, like something had happened. He looked like normal Phil, he was wearing his pyjamas, a white t-shirt and some brightly coloured trousers that Dan couldn’t quite make out the pattern of, but his eyes seemed scattered. Dan was wearing Phil’s hoodie. He hugged his arms to his chest.

“I miss you,” he said finally, unsure of what to say to make him feel better.

“ _I miss you too,_ ” Phil responded, a small distracted smile taking over his lips. It hadn’t been that long since they had last talked, but Dan was in the middle of exams and Phil was working on various ideas for videos, so it seemed like forever. Dan wished he could be near him.

“Why does it seem like we see each other less now that I live in the same city as you, it’s not fair.” Dan stated.

Phil laughed. _“We see each other plenty, and you’re coming over this weekend yeah? After your exam?”_

Dan nodded. He looked back at his textbook in exhaustion.

“So many pages….” He whined, laying his head in the book. Phil laughed at him kindly.

_“I’m sure it’s not_ that _bad, how many do you have left?”_ Phil asked.

“All of them,” Dan replied. “I’ve barely started and I need to read three chapters before tomorrow morning.”

“ _Yikes_.“ Phil said. Dan turned his head to look at the laptop. Phil’s eyes widened. Dan hit his head against the table.

“ _Why don’t you read it out loud to me?”_ Phil suggested. Dan sat up.

“Really? This is like the most boring book in the entire world and I am not that interesting – you do not want to have to listen to me read it to you…” Dan retorted.

“ _Dan, I could listen to you read the phone directory.”_ Phil insisted. Dan rolled his eyes. “ _Really! You’d make it interesting with your voices and such. Very entertaining.”_

“Are you serious?!” Dan laughed, looking at Phil.

“ _Yes!”_ Phil threw his voice lower. _“Tell me all about the law, Mr. Howell.”_

“Oh my god Phil…” Dan laughed again. Phil smiled, and nodded at him to start. Dan shook his head lovingly. “Fine! But I take no responsibility for any ears bleeding from how mind-numbingly boring this is.” He concluded.

Dan started at the beginning of the first assigned chapter, and checked in with Phil every few paragraphs. Usually, he was staring at the screen intently, and Dan wondered whether the image was frozen. Other times, he was adjusting something on his night stand beside him.

Occasionally, Phil would ask a clarifying question and Dan wasn’t sure if he was genuinely interested or if he was testing whether Dan was paying attention. Either way it worked, and Dan would go off on a little tangent to Phil’s delight.

By the time Dan reached the end of the third chapter, his eyes were beginning to close periodically, and he heard Phil’s breathing slow down on the other side of the call. He closed the book, and tucked his notes back into his binder quietly. He looked at Phil, and he checked the clock in the corner of the screen. It was after midnight.

“Phil.” Dan said. Phil opened his eyes with a start.

” _Yes! Tort law! Something about custody or something!”_ he insisted. Dan rolled his eyes again at his boyfriend.

“Thank you,” he said simply. Phil’s face relaxed.

“ _You’re welcome_ ,” he said with a smile. Dan picked up the laptop and moved to his bed with a yawn. “ _You should get some sleep,”_ Phil suggested. Dan scoffed.

“ _You’re_ the one who was falling asleep while I was reading!” Dan laughed.

“ _It was calming! Like a bedtime story!”_ Phil laughed. “ _Not my fault you’re so relaxing to listen to.”_

Phil did seem calmer now, Dan reflected on his anxiousness at the beginning of the call.

“Is everything okay?” He asked concerned, “How are you? I didn’t ask earlier, sorry…”

” _Better now_ ,” Phil responded.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @ttlmt  
> thank you to @perigreecoffee for beta-ing on such short notice lol


End file.
